


Feverish

by AutisticWriter



Series: Whumptober [8]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Tanaka Gundham, Caring, Concern, During Canon, Fainting, Fever, Friendship, Gen, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko Swears, One Shot, Post chapter 3, Prompt Fic, Sick Character, Sickfic, Swearing, Whump, Whumptober 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 05:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16257713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutisticWriter/pseuds/AutisticWriter
Summary: After the Despair Disease rocked the island, the students are terrified of sickness. But when Gundham comes down with a fever and Monokuma turns out to have nothing to do with it, they just want to help him.[Prompt 7: Fever]





	Feverish

Ever since the horror that is the Despair Disease, everyone has been terrified of signs of sickness appearing on the island again. If somebody sneezes, expect several of the others to gather around them and inspect them, checking for a fever or any strange behaviours and wishing they still had Mikan to be the Ultimate Nurse they need (“Well, the Mikan before she went nuts,” Akane feels the need to clarify; Hajime understands, but did she have word it like that?). It usually turns out to just be a false alarm (“Of course it’s not that disease; people sneeze all the fucking time!” Fuyukiko snaps, sick of the others’ paranoia), but there’s always that worry that Monokuma might spring an even worse disease on them.

So, in hindsight it makes perfect sense that someone starting to feel a bit unwell would hide their symptoms; after all, if everyone will freak out and fuss over them, who wouldn’t hide how they feel to save everyone unnecessary stress and themselves unnecessary embarrassment? Especially if that person is as socially awkward and strange as Tanaka Gundham.

 

When Gundham awakes, his first thought goes to his Four Dark Devas of Destruction. Thankfully, they still sit where he left them before he went to sleep, all four sat on his bundled up scarf at the foot of the bed. Unlike mere mortals he doesn’t worry about his Devas; however, as a fellow dark being, he feels a level of solidarity with his companions and must always check on their wellbeing.

Still, once he has ascertained that they are all fine, his thoughts turn to his own wellbeing. To his irritation, his normally comfortable room feels freezing, and Gundham starts to shiver. He clenches his jaw to stop his teeth chattering, and moves to get out of bed. But when he pulls back the bed sheets, cold hair attacks his body, and he trembles with shivers. Who would dare tamper with the thermostat in the bedroom of an evil overload such as Tanaka Gundham?

Despite the cold, Gundham gets out of bed—

And falls.

“Damnation!” he yelps, his legs weak and unable to support his body. Gundham’s pathetically wobbly knees buckle, and he collapses to the floor.

Pain jolts through his aching frame, and he lets out a moan. Just what is wrong with him? What has incapacitated him like this? How could he possibly feel this weak? The Devas come to check on him, but he insists he is fine.

Eventually, Gundham hauls himself to his feet, legs wobbling so much he really thinks he might fall again. His muscles ache as though he has recently run a marathon or wasted all of his powers in casting a too large magic circle; however, he has done neither of these things. Despite the small size of his room, it takes a while to reach the thermostat – and that is when he sees it.

The thermostat is on the same setting as when he went to bed. So… the temperature has not changed? But that mean… Gundham’s own body is what is wrong, not the room’s thermostat.

He tries to think of what this could mean, of what has happened to a mortal to make them feel cold despite the room being rather warm. Would that mean the hypothetical mortal would have a fever?

But Gundham cannot possibly have a fever. That is something that affects mortals, not…

He catches sight of his reflection in the glass door to the shower room. His skin shines with clamminess, his face even paler than usual. Oh dear.

Despite the humiliation it causes an evil overlord such as himself to admit, Gundham cannot avoid the truth. He, Tanaka Gundham, has a fever.

He is sick.

\---

After breaking up an argument between Nagito and Akane (she really hates him, and he doesn’t exactly do much to help patch up their friendship), Sonia notices someone else climbing the stairs to the restaurant. Their gait is slow and awkward, like they are in pain. She tenses up – is someone hurt?

Sonia rushes to the top of the staircase and looks down at the person… and—

“Gundham?” she says, staring at the boy she admires (and might have a bit of a crush on, not that she would admit it).

He looks up at her, and she sees it. The tension in his body and the pain in his eyes.

He lurches on his feet despite his tight grip on the railings, movements uncoordinated. His face is horribly pale and clammy, and his eyes are half-open, like he’s close to falling asleep (or possibly collapsing).

“Good morning to you, my Dark Lady,” Gundham says, but his use of that nickname goes right over her head. Because his voice is as weak and wobbly as his body.

“Are you okay?” she says.

“Of course. why would I not be?”

“Because, well, you look like you are unwell.”

“What did you say?” Hajime says, racing across the room.

“Did you say Gundham’s sick?” Akane says.

“Fucking hell,” Fuyuhiko mutters.

“I am not sick!” Gundham insists, walking into the restaurant on unsteady legs. “I am not affected by the same diseases as you mere mortals.”

“Yeah, I’m calling bullshit,” Fuyuhiko says.

“You look really pale, Gundham,” Chiaki says, wandering over.

Sonia frowns, eyes focusing on the way Gundham fiddles with his Hell Hound Earring, rubbing his fingertips over the metal dangling from his earlobe. She has got to know a lot about him, and knows he starts fidgeting when he is stressed. “Gundham, please tell me you feel okay.”

He looks at them all, and scrubs a hand down his pale face. “I…”

“Gundham, can I feel your forehead?” Chiaki says.

Gundham shakes his head and then grimaces, as though the act made him dizzy. “Don’t touch me. Don’t…”

But he stumbles on his feet, his eyes close, his knees buckle…

“Shit, he’s gonna faint!” Fuyuhiko yells, running over.

And as Gundham goes limp, Fuyuhiko and Akane grab his arms and ease him to the floor.

Sonia covers her mouth, eyes wide. “Oh dear. He is sick, is he not?”

“Obviously,” Fuyuhiko says.

Still, she has to check. Sonia kneels beside Gundham, noting how his hamsters all look at her, and places a hand on his forehead.

“He is boiling hot,” she says, his clammy skin hot beneath her fingers.

“Fuck,” Fuyuhiko says.

“Oh crap,” Hajime says.

Akane sighs. “Not again. Please not again.”

“I don’t think this is Monokuma’s doing, guys,” Chiaki says.

And before she can say anything else, Monokuma appears from nowhere, making Kazuichi and Sonia scream.

“She’s right!” Monokuma says, grinning. “This is nothing to do with me. Gundham’s just sick! Have fun!”

And Monokuma vanishes.

“So… it’s not his doing?” Akane says.

“Seems that way,” Fuyuhiko says.

“Anyway, we should help him, guys,” Hajime says, crouching down beside Sonia.

“Of course,” Sonia says, nodding her head. Still, looking at the feverish, sick Gundham slumped on the floor makes him want to cry.

\---

After everyone gets Gundham back to his cottage, they split up to sort things out. Chiaki and Akane collect an assortment of food and drinks for Gundham, Nekumaru and Fuyuhiko go to the pharmacy to see what they can find, whilst Hajime and Sonia take a trip to the supermarket to get Gundham some extra pillows to make him comfortable (and Nagito is nowhere to be seen).

But, eventually, everything has been sorted out and Gundham has woken up. Still, he looks groggy and weak, and doesn’t even have the strength to tell them to leave him alone. He seems to have lost the ability to speak, which makes sense to Chiaki, who worked out ages ago that Gundham is autistic.

Still, she can tell he somewhat appreciates their help. After all, why wouldn’t they help him?

\---

The next time Gundham awakes, he can barely keep his eyes open. But he feels comfortable and safe, his Devas right next to him on the pillow, and he drifts back to sleep.

And the others are just glad he is doing okay. They wouldn’t want to lose another student – another friend.


End file.
